Operating mechanism for windshields and the like



J. F. LEVAN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WINDSHIELDS AND THE LIKE Filed May 5, 19s? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT OR. WW I /%7Mk I ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 19, 1939. J. F. LEVAN 2,133,774

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WINDSHIELDS AND THE LIKE Filed llay 5,- 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I W aHiVENTOR; BY %%W v ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 19, 1939. J LEVAN 2,183,774

OPERATING MECHANISM FORWINDSHIELDS AND THE LIKE Fi'led May 5, 19:57 5 Sheets-Sheet s A TTORNEY5 Patented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WIND- SHIELDS AND THE LIKE John F. Levan, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Excel Curtain Company, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application May 5, 1937, Serial No; 140,970

3 Claims.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for opening and closing Windshields and'the like which have outward and inward opening and closing movements, as Windshields which are hinged along their upper edges, and has forits object an operating mechanism which is simple, economical and durable in construction and easily operated. 1

It further has for its object an operating mechanism including an operating member which has an endwise sliding movement for tightly opening or closing the windshield, and an angular movement for engaging and disengaging it from looking means, which hold it in its position occupied when the windshield is closed or in various open positions.

Other and more specific objects appear throughout the specification.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of this operating mechanism for Windshields, the windshield and the contiguous portion of the windshield frame being also shown.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of parts seen in Figure 1.

Figure. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the plane of line 3-3, Figure 2, the parts being shown in their positions occupied when the mechanism is operated from the position shown in full lines, Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are plan views of slightly modified forms of the operating mechanism shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 66, Figure 4-.

Figure 7 is a plan view, similar to Figure 2, of a second modification of the invention.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevation of parts having movement at an angle to the cndwise.

55 movement along the guide, the guide being 4 designates the framing of the vehicle or body 10" along the lower portion of the windshield opening.

The operating mechanism includes a guide H fixed to the framing 4 and an operating member 52 slidable along the guide and connected to the '5 windshield. The guide is formed with a passage 53 extending at an angle to the windshield through which passage the member l2 extends, and as here shown, the guide includes a base plate M mounted on the framing 4 in the rear 20 ofthe Windshield and a channel formed up of sheet metal with the bottom of the channel overlying the base plate I4 and the open side' of the channel upward. The side walls of the channel are provided with inturned lips l6 overhanging 2,5. the bottom of a box-like channel. The channel member confines the guide passage l3. The operating member includes two sections IZ and I? arranged end to end and hinged together at l2. I in the general form. of a flat strip sliding through the passage i3 underneath the flanges or lips i6. 7 It is mounted to have an angular movement, which is shown as-a downward movement in the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. This 35 angular movement is against the action of a spring I! shown in Figures 1 and 3, as a coiled. spring surrounding a pin l8 extending from a friction plate or shoe l9 and pressing at one end against the lower side of the plate l9, and at its 4.0 a other end against an abutment at the'bottom of a thimble 20 secured to the bottom-of the channel of themember H and to the base plate I l. The thimble extends into a suitable recess in the framing 4. f v Preferably, interlocking means is provided between the operating member and the guide H to hold the operating member, and hence thewindshield closed, and in various open positions. As here shown, one of the lips I6 is formed with an inturned lug or shoulder 2i forentering any one of a plurality of notches 22 formed in the member it. The spring l'l thrusts upwardly on the member i2 and causes one of the notches to re.- ceive the lug when it comes into alinement with 55 Usually the operating member'is 3 0 the lug. The member I2 is disengaged from the shoulder or lug 2I by a downward movement in the passage I3.

The section I2 is pivotally connected at 23 to a bracket 24 on the lowerrail of the windshield and the section I2 is movable about the hinge I2 from a position in alinement with the section I2 into an angular position, where it fulcrums at 25 on the guide member, so that further pressure applied to the section I2 when in angular position, tightly closes the windshield. One of the notches 22 is located to receive the shoulder 2! when the windshield is clamped tightly in closed position. The hinge i2 is arranged to be located just outside of and to the rear of the passage I3 when the windshield is closed, so that the section I2 when swung into angular position, may fulcrum on the guide II. The hinge at I2 includes a suitable spring washer 23 for holding the hinge joint from rattling and also is provided with a cam locking means for holding the sections I2 and I2 in alinement, this locking means being merely a notch at 21 in the section I2 radial with the axis of the hinge and a tooth 28 in the underlying portion of the section I2 The spring washer 26 causes the tooth and notch to engage with a snap action. The spring yieldingly resists movement of the notch out of engagement with the tooth, when the member is turned into angular position.

The operating member is shown as formed up from sheet metal strips into a flattened U shape in cross section with an eye 30 at one end of the member I2 for receiving the hinge 23. As seen in Figure 2, the notches 22 are preferably arranged at the bottom of the U formation or on the side of the member I2 remote from the fulcrum 25. The hinge I2 is a stop joint and the section I2 can not be moved from an angular position beyond a position where it is alined with the section l2 as the bottoms of the U formation of said sections come together and prevent further movement.

In operation, the section I 2 is first moved from angular position into straight position, and then downward pressure applied against the action of the spring I! to disengage the operating member from the shoulder or lug 2I, and then the pressure applied in an endwise direction to the operating member to open the windshield various distances. When the downward or lateral pressure is discontinued, the operating member I2 will spring upwardly under the influence of the spring I! so that the shoulder 2| can enter one of the plurality of notches 22. To close the windshield, downward pressure is applied to the operating member to release the same from the shoulder or lug M and the operating member pulled inwardly. When the windshield is closed,

the hinge I2 of the operating member is just to the rear of the guide II, and when the section I2 is swung nearly to its full extent in a lateral direction, it will fulcrum at 25, thus exerting further pull on the member I2 to tightly close the windshield and bring one of the notches 22 in line with the shoulder or lug 2I.

In Figures 4, and 6, an arcuate leaf spring SI is provided, this being mounted on the bottom of the channel of the guide member II with its apex portion pressing throughout a considerable extent against the upper side of the operating member I2 and performing, to some extent, the function of the shoe I9 (Figure 3).

The springs I'I (Figures 1 and 3) and the spring 3I (Figures 5 and 6) permit the operating member I2 to tilt slightly without rattling in the guide passage I3, as the windshield or the bottom rail thereof swings in an arc during opening and closing.

In Figures 7 and 8, the operating member, instead of having an upward and downward movement has a sidewise angular movement to unlock it from the guide against the action of a spring 33, and one of the overhanging lips I6 of the guide is provided with a shoulder or pin 34 on the under side thereof for coacting with the notches 35 in the operating member I2, the notches being here shown as located on the opposite edge of the operating member from that shown in Figure 3. The lateral movement of the operating member against the action of the spring 33 disengages the notch from the pin and frees the operating member for endwise sliding movement in the guide.

A spring 3I similar to the spring 3| (Figure 4) is also provided in the guide passages to permit tilting of the operating member without rattling in the guide, during opening and closing of the windshield. During the lateral movement of the operating member against the spring 3I, the operating member fulcrums at III).

In the forms shown in Figures '7 and 8, the section I2 of the operating member is composed of two sections, one of which is mounted to collapse relatively to the other. I2 designates the collapsible section, which is hinged at 40 to the other section, so that when the windshield is closed, the section I2 can be folded over onto the other section, and thus shorten the length of the section I2 this form being particularly adapted for operating Windshields where there is a wide space between the instrument board and the windshield.

In the form shown in. Figure 9, one section of the operating member is shown as extensible and contractile and consisting of two telescopic parts, I2 I2 one of which is mounted to slide into the other of said parts. The slidable part I2 is provided with a guide pin 31 which lies in a slot 38 formed in the section I2 of the operating member and extending lengthwise thereof. The part I2- is normally held from sliding movement by a shoulder or pin 39 between the double wall formation of the section I2 and arranged to engage notches 4Il, 4! in the edge of the part I2 The part I2 has a lateral movement about the axis of the pin 3! to disengage the notch 40 or M from the pin 39, this lateral movement being against the action of a returning spring 42.

The parts are normally in the position shown in full lines in Figure 9 with the exception that the member I2 is not swung laterally, as indicated in full lines, but is substantially coincident with the part I2? with the pin 39 interlocked in the notch 40 and with the handle end against the end of the section I2 In Figure 9, the section I2 is shown as swung laterally against the spring 42 to disengage the notch 40 from the pin 39 and as pulled out slightly. To operate the windshield, the section I2 is swung laterally; then pulled outwardly to its full extent; and then swung laterally inwardly by the spring 42 to engage notch M with the pin 39. These parts are then swung on the axis I2 into alinement with the section I2 of the operating member. Then a downward force is applied to the section I2 to disengage the operating member from the shoulder 2|, as in Figure 3, and then a pushingforce applied to the extended part I2 to'open the windshield. The reverse of these operations closes the windshield and then the section I2 again moved laterally to disengage theno tch 4| from the pin 39 and the part l2 telescoped into the section I2 What I claim is:

1. The combination with a windshield having outward and inward opening and closing movements; of an operating mechanism therefor including a guide in the form of a channel formed with alug extending into the channel, an operating member slidable endwise through the channel, the operating member including two sections arranged end to end, one section being U-shaped in cross section and connected to the windshield, the other section being hinged to said first-mentioned section by a stop joint connection, and notches in both sectionsqfor receiving the lug, the sections being provided with means for locking the sections in end to-end position.

2. The combination with a windshield having outward and inward opening and closing movements; of an operating mechanism therefor including a guide in the form of a channel formed with a lug extending into the channel, an operating member slidable endwise through the channel, the operating member including two U- shaped sections arranged end to end, one section being connected at one end to the windshield, and hinged by a stop joint at its other end to the other section, and notches in both sections for receiving'the lug, the sections being provided with coacting means for holding the sections in end to end position.

3; The-combination with-a windshield having outward and inward opening and closing movementfof' an operating mechanism therefor including a guide in the form of a channelwith the open side "of the channel upward, inturned .lips on the side walls of said channel, one of said lips being .formed' with'a down-turned lug other section to the other end of said first-mentioned section to have a limited movement from an angular position to an end to end position,

means for locking the sections in end to end position, and notches in the bottom of said U- shaped sections forreceiving the lug.

JOHN F. LEVAN. 

